Finley river suprise

[RSBreth]

Fished today on a stretch above Ozark, pretty good smallies, no real size to them, tons of goggle-eye, as usual, and the reason I keep a small box of little grubs and a few small Thill Floats: A nice little school of crappie around a newly downed tree. Some portages necessary, but a good float except for one drunken trio in a canoe randomly going up and down stream, of course right where I anchor to fish the crappie. Oh well, float season is upon us.

I should post more reports, but I get lazy about it.

[Ham]

Nice photos and a good report.

I'm not sure I would share that much detailed information.

If you share that much information about a hot crappie bite on the Red River, you can't get to your spot for other boats the next day.

[crappiefisherman]

I love it.I wish I could come across fish like that on a float.You seem to have the finley figured out.I am wondering, are there any below the dam, where the river goes behind the jeep dealer.I have never fished it but it looks good.Also I asked before but didnt recieve an answer.The curving ripple, just east of the highway 65 bridge, looks very good to me but have never seen anyone there.Have you fished this?

I love it.I wish I could come across fish like that on a float.You seem to have the finley figured out.I am wondering, are there any below the dam, where the river goes behind the jeep dealer.I have never fished it but it looks good.Also I asked before but didnt recieve an answer.The curving ripple, just east of the highway 65 bridge, looks very good to me but have never seen anyone there.Have you fished this?

[vonreed]

Crappiefisherman, I've fished the spot you're talking about, but it's been a few years. It's pretty well fished. There used to be a good school of bass in there but they would have nothing to do with a lure. Also the slough that runs back against the bluff has filled in incredibly the last couple years. There is crappie by the jeep dealer but not hardly enough to go after. You need something to paddle around in also. But they get fished out every year pretty quickly.

[RSBreth]

I don't think I was so specific as to pinpoint exactly where I was, or that there are enough people ready to float this stretch simply to find a dozen good crappies, you can't run a boat of any size through there, look at my first picture, Ham. I have to do that 10-12 times just to get through.

Second response. I better have it figured out, I've lived here in Ozark since '98, and fish it, on average, once a week. When I'm not off to Table Rock, the White, or wherever, I'm here. Year round.

I know the stretch there behind Heritage, and I don't really bother. Shallow for quite a ways downstream down to the 65 bridge area, which is hit every weekend by catch and keep locals. And drunks. Sometimes one in the same.

The best areas on the Finley are the stretches above the park in Ozark, above Linden, and above the confluence with the James.

I'm still amazed at numbers of crappie and largemouths, I think it's the small lakes that allow them good spawning areas in what is otherwise a smallie river.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I would imagine the lake keeps adding to the mix.

Do you float, or paddle?

[RSBreth]

I sometimes drag up and paddle back above Linden, most of the time the misses drops me at Linden and I float back to the park. Never leave a car at Linden.

[Ham]

I used to think the Red River was big enough too. When I started getting emails from Florida asking for updated information based on previous fising trip reports I had posted, I learned my lesson.

Once again, nice report. I'm glad you had a good trip.